West Indian image change

Press, 20 October 1987, Page 48

West Indian image change

NZPA-Reuter New Delhi Vivian Richards, commenting on the West Indies* poor start to the World Cup, said yesterday that the team had “got into this habit of letting games slip, away.’’ Two defeats in its first three games have left,the West Indies perilously close to being eliminated at the group stage which would be an ignominious fate for the side which won the first two World Cups and were losing finalists in the other. ' Until recently, the West Indies had a reputation as ruthless executioners, particularly in the one-day game, but the image has started to change. “I think we have got into this habit of letting games slip away from us in the closing stages. It is not a very happy development and the boys are a little disappointed at having lost two games which we should have, won,” Richards, the WesFlndian

captain, said. “I think we have played well so far. But the pressure always seems to take a hold of us somehow in the last fivelor sixovers. ■ Everything goes haywire ; then and this is the main reason why we have not been able to live up to our reputation.’* . Richards ftas refused tp criticise the team Which lost to England by two Wickets and Pakistan by one wicket, both times after victory seemed well within its grasp at the start of the final over. “I wouldn’t blame my fast bowlers,” he said. "It is. the same guys who have won matches for us in the past and there is no reason why they cannot do it again.” The West Indies have moved to Kanpur to play the first of its return matches against Sri Lanka. First time round they beat the Sri Lankans by 191 runs in Karachi with Richards scoring a . World Cup record 181.